Collapsible mop holder



1969 A. c. GOETTEL 7 3,458,886

COLLAPSIBLE MOP HOLDER Filed Oct. 13, 1967 I l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JV" .2 f

INVENT OR ARTHUR C. GOETTE'L ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,458,886 COLLAPSIBLE MOP HGLDER Arthur C. Goettel, 1920 Cleveland, Miami, Okla. 74354 Filed Oct. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 675,221 Int. Cl. A471 13/253 US. Cl. 15-147 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE This invention relates to a novel collapsible mop holder for a cloth mop of the type having opposed pockets for receiving base members of the mop holder, and is particularly directed to a mop holder which is relatively foolproof in operation, is constructed of a minimum number of relatively inexpensive components, and is exceptionally economical from the standpoint of both manufacturing and consumer costs.

Collapsible holders for pocketed cloth mops of the type to which the invention is directed are relatively well known. However, equally well known are the numerous disadvantages thereof, chief among which are the difficulties encountered in assembling pocketed mops upon and removing the same from associated holders. Generally speaking, the loading and unloading of such conventional collapsible holders is a three-hand operation, requiring two hands to hold the cloth mop in place (or remove the same) and another to lock (or unlock) the holder. Such mop holders are not only cumbersome to load and unload, but the constructions do not lend themselves to efiicient mopping because of their unstable and flimsy construction, as well as the tendency thereof to unlock during a mopping operation.

In accordance with the above, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel collapsible mop holder which overcomes the above and numerous other disadvantages of prior art devices, and is particularly directed to a mop holder having a pair of pivotally connected U- shaped base members movable between planar and angularly related positions, means for locking the base member in the planar position, and cam means for automatically actuating the locking means upon relative movement of the base members toward the planar position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel mop holder of the type heretofore described, including means for biasing the locking means toward a locked position thereof, means for preventing relative movement of the base members beyond the planar position, and manually grippable means for moving the locking means between locked and unlocked positions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a holder of the type heretofore defined wherein the locking means is carried by a first of the base members, the locking means including a locking member slidable in a direction parallel to the pivot axis of the base members, and the locking member disposed to contactingly engage a leg of a second of the base members to prevent relative movement away from the planar position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mop holder as set forth heretofore wherein the means for 3,458,886 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 preventing movement of the base members beyond the planar position is a portion of one of the base member legs offset in the direction of the pivot axis in overlying contacting relationship with an adjacent leg of the other base member.

With the above and other objects in view which will become more apparent hereinafter, the invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of the collapsible mop holder of this invention, and illustrates the holder in its operative or working position and locking means maintaining a pair of U-shaped base members of the holder in a generally common plane;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top view of the mop holder, and illustrates manually grippable means for moving locking members of the locking means to an unlocked position against the force of spring biasing means;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the mop holder, and illustrates an olfset portion of one of the base members in contactingly overlying relationship with a leg of the other of the base members to prevent relative movement beyond the planar disposition thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a slightly enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, and illustrates cam follower means associated with one of a pair of slidable locking members of the locking means, and the locked and unlocked positions thereof:

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line 55 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the biasing means maintaining the locking members in overlying relationship with associated legs of one of the base members; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the mop holder, and illustrates the angular disposition of the base member when a pocketed cloth mop is being assembled upon or removed from the holder.

A collapsible mop holder constructed in accordance with the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral- 10 and includes a pair of generally U-shaped metallic base members 11, 12.

The base member 11 includes a bight portion 13 and a pair of legs 14, 15 which have terminal end portions 16, 17 respectively, offset toward one another and terminating in eyes or loops 18, 20, respectively. The base member 12 likewise includes a bight portion 21 and a pair of legs 22, 23 which have inwardly directed opposed end portions 24, 25, respectively. In the generally planar position of the base members 11, 12 (FIGURES 1 and 2) the latter members are in generally opposed relationship to each other with portions of the legs 16, 22 and 17, 23 in generally side-by-side overlapped relationship. The base members 11, 12 are mounted for relative pivoting movement by means of a cylindrical rod 26, welded or otherwise conventionally secured normal to the legs 22, 23, about which the loops 18, 20 are encircled.

Means 27 in the form of a generally rectangular element having a cross bar 28 is provided for securing the mop holder 10 to a conventional mop handle H. The element 27 is welded to the offset portions 16, 17 of the respective legs 14, 15, and the cross bar 28 is disposed generally normal to the pivoting axis of the base members 11, 12, as defined by the rod 26.

Locking means, generally designated by the reference numeral 30, are provided for securely but releasably locking the base members 11, 12 in the planar position thereof. The locking means 30 includes a generally hollow tubular member 31 secured, as by welding, to the offset portions 16, 17 of the legs 14, 15, respectively. The axis of the tubular member 31 is generally parallel to the rod 26 and normal to the cross bar 28. A pair of aligned elongated slots 32, 33 are formed in the tubular member 31, and a locking member 34, 35 is slidably positioned in the tubular member 31 adjacent the respective slots 32, 33. Biasing means 36 in the form of a spring housed in the tubular member 31 normally urges the exposed ends (unnumbered) of the locking members 34, 35 away from each other and into overlying contacting locking relationship with the respective legs 22, 23 in the locked position (FIGURES 1 and 2) of the mop holder 10. However, when it is desired to release the locking means 30, grip-- ping means in the form of stems 37, 38, secured to each locking member 34, 35 and projecting through the respective slots 32, 33, are manually urged to the phantom outline position shown in FIGURE 2. This compresses the spring 36, draws each locking member inwardly of the tubular member 31, as best shown by the solid line position of the locking member 35 in FIGURE 4, and frees the base members for pivoting movement to the angularly disposed non-working position thereof shown in FIGURE 6.

Means 40, 41 in the form of a cam follower surface are associated with each locking member 34, 35, respectively, to automatically force the locking members 34, 35 inwardly as the base members 11, 12 are pivoted from the position shown in FIGURE 6 toward the-position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. During this movement of the base members 11, 12, the legs 22, 23 initially contact the cam follower surfaces 40, 41, respectively, and progressively urge the locking members 34, 35 into the tubular element 31. After the legs 23, 24 drop off the respective cam surfaces 40, 41, the spring 36 urges the locking members 34, 35 outwardly into overlying contacting locking engagement with the legs 22, 23, in the manner graphically illustrated in FIGURE 4. The bottoming of the stems 37, 38 in the respective slots 32, 33 prevent the locking members 34, 35 from leaving the tubular member 31, and the contact of the offset ends 24, 25 upon the respective legs 14, 15 prevents the movement of the base member 11, 12 beyond the planar position of FIGURES 1 and 2.

Assuming the mop holder 10 is in the collapsed position of FIGURE 6, a cloth mop M having pockets P P is assembled upon the holder 10 by sliding the base members 11, 12 into the respective pockets P P by a simple one (or at most two) handed operation. The handle H is then pushed down toward and against the floor (not shown), causing the pivoting of the base member 11, 12 toward and into the locked planar position (FIGURES 1 and 2) in the manner heretofore described. In lieu of locking the holder 10 in its operative position by moving the handle H, each base member 11, 12 can be manually grasped and pivoted to the locked position although, of course, this necessitates manually grasping the mop M, which may be undesirable. The weight and inherent tendency of the holder 10 to assume the position shown in FIGURE 6 results in the collapse of the holder upon the compression of the spring 36 in the manner heretofore described. The mop M can then be manually removed from the holder 10 by simply shaking the handle H or Although the foregoing description is intended as a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible mop holder comprising:

first and second generally U-shaped base members,

each having spaced legs and a bight portion;

said first base member having a first rigid means sesured to and connecting the legs thereof, said rigid means being spaced substantially inwardly from the ends of the legs of said first base member;

said second base member having its legs in substantial overlapping relation to the legs of said first base member, the said legs being pivotally mounted adjacent the rigid means of said first base member, said second base member having a second rigid means secured to and connecting the legs thereof, said second rigid means being spaced inwardly from the ends of the legs of said second base member;

a cam surface actuated locking means adjacent said second rigid means for engaging at least one leg of a base member and automatically locking said first and second base members in overlapped coplanar relationship;

stop means on one of said base members limiting relative movement of said base members between a first position in which the base members are in a substantially common plane and a second position in which the base members are disposed in angular relationship to each other; and

means between said first and second rigid means for attaching a mop handle to said holder.

2. A mop holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second rigid means serves as a housing for said cam surface actuated locking means.

3. A mop holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second rigid means comprises a hollow tube, and said locking means includes at least one spring biased, sliding latch plunger having a beveled projecting face and finger means for retracting said plunger.

4. A mop holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam surface actuated locking means comprises a hollow tube open at both ends, spaced latch members in said tube biased outwardly by spring means and having beveled projecting faces, and finger means for retracting said latch members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,843,008 1/ 1932 Waters 15--228 2,192,861 3/ 1940 Burchell. 2,967,320 1/ 1961 Short. 3,005,220 10/ 1961 McPherson. 3,082,456 3/ 1963 Short. 3,029,454 4/ 1962 Short et al 15147 3,324,495 6/1967 Van Schwartz.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner 

